Viewer printer machine

ABSTRACT

A viewer printer machine for selectively displaying or reproducing micro-images stored on a microfiche includes a viewing screen for observing projected micro-images from a microfiche and a printing or reproduction assembly for automatically, rapidly reproducing copies of the micro-images. The machine includes a novel transport assembly for transporting the micro-images sequentially into position for viewing or reproduction. The transport assembly includes a movable column slide for sequentially transporting images stored along a column of the microfiche into the illumination path of the machine and a row slide for sequentially transporting images stored along a row of the microfiche into the illumination path of the machine. The machine includes a novel control circuit for enabling the machine to selectively display or rapidly reproduce micro-images stored on microfiches of varying sizes and formats. The control circuit also enables the machine to automatically, rapidly reproduce a first, variable, preselectable number of collated sets of a second, variable, preselectable number of consecutively disposed micro-images.

United States Patent H9] Aronson et al.

1451 Aug. 5, 1975 l l VIEWER PRINTER MACHINE [75] Inventors: Aaron B. Aronson, Glenview;

Thomas V. [)eRyke, Libertyville. both of lll.; Joseph (loebel, Hague, Netherlands [73] Assignce: Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation. Cleveland Ohio [22] Filed: Aug. I6. 1973 [Zll Appl. No: 388.838

[52] U.S. Cl. 355/43; 355/l4; 355/45; 355/53 [51] Int. Cl. G03b 27/46; G03b 27/62; Gllfih 27/7() [58] Field of Search 355/l4 43, 44 5(1. 5 l

Primury Iimmiucr-Richard A, Wintercorn .ilflll'lll'l. Agcnl. m' Firm-Mason. Kolchmainen. Rathburn 84 Wyss [57] ABSTRACT A viewer printer machine for selectively displaying or reproducing micro'images stored on a microfiche includes a viewing screen for observing projected microimages from a microfiche and a printing or reproduction assembly for automatically. rapidly reproducing copies of the microimages. The machine includes a novel transport assembly for transporting the microimages sequentially into position for viewing or reproduction. The transport assembly includes a movable column slide for sequentially transporting images stored along a column of the microfiche into the illumination path of the machine and a row slide for sequentially transporting images stored along a row of the microfiche into the illumination path of the machine. The machine includes a novel control circuit for enabling the machine to selectively display or rapidly reproduce micro-images stored on microfiches of varying sizes and formats. The control circuit also enables the machine to automatically rapidly reproduce a first, variable, preselectable number of collated sets of a second, variable, preselectable number of consecutively disposed micro-images.

58 Claims, 43 Drawing Figures PATENTEI] RUB 5W5 SHEET PATENTEU AUB 5|975 SHEET wmw i 2 aw f a a M ML i E i 2 l: i S e 1 Nb m uv 12 a 1 i X :4 mm

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SEEET 14 FIG. 29 m FE CE E7 6 K/D K/C K/B KIA PATENTED AUG 51975 SHEET 283 225 is; 22% 285 PM NM 258 2:8 235 2:5 235 2:5 Q9! NE mwE 63 no! omow $292: a mn- 00:1. BE m 9 m w mom moo Fm: w 331. mix Yaw! mm NW3 :3.

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1. A device for reproducing copies of at least a portion of a plurality of reproducible originals comprising a feed path for copy material, said feed path having an input station and an exit station and means for automatically reproducing and delivering to said exit station a first, variable, preselectable number of collated sets of copies of a second, variable, preselectable number of said plurality of reproducible originals.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said reproducing and delivering means includes manually manipulative means for entering said first number into said device.
 3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said reproducing and delivering means further includes means for illuminating said plurality of reproducible images, means for forming latent images of said reproducibles originals, means for developing said latent images to form visible originals of said reproducible images and means for fixing said visible images on copy material to form tangible copies of said reproducible originals.
 4. A device for reproducing copies of a plurality of reproducible originals comprising means for automatically reproducing a first, variable, preselectable number of collated sets of copies of a second, variable, preselectable number of said plurality of reproducible originals.
 5. A device as defined in claim 4 further comprising a feed path for copy material, said feed path having an input station and an exit station, and means for delivering said first, variable, preselectable number of collated sets of copies of said second, variable, preselectable number of said plurality of reproducible originals to said exit station.
 6. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said reproducing means comprises manually manipulative meanS for entering said first number and said second number into said device.
 7. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said reproducing means comprises first means for receiving said first number from said entering means and for monitoring the reproduction of said first number of collated sets of copies.
 8. A device as defined in claim 7 wherein said reproducing means further comprises second means for receiving said second number from said entering means and for storing said second number and third means responsive to said second means for monitoring the reproduction of copies of said second number of said plurality of reproducible originals.
 9. A device as defined in claim 8 wherein said third monitoring means includes means for generating an electrical signal to decrement said first receiving and monitoring means upon the reproduction of a third number of copies by said device equal to said second number.
 10. A device as defined in claim 5 further comprising means for automatically conditioning said device to reproduce as the first member of said second number of said plurality of reproducible originals a variable, preselectable, first orignals of said plurality of reproducible originals.
 11. A device as defined in claim 10 wherein said conditioning means includes means for entering information into said device corresponding to said first originals and means responsive to said entered information for positioning said first originals within an illumination path of said device to enable a reproduction operation of said device to be initiated by the reproduction of a copy of said first originals.
 12. A device as defined in claim 11 wherein said entering means includes manually manipulative means for entering said information.
 13. A device as defined in claim 12 wherein said manually manipulative entering means comprises depressible switch means.
 14. A device as defined in claim 13 wherein said entering means includes means responsive to the maintenance of said switch means in a depressed condition for a time period greater than a predetermined time period for altering the information being entered into said device.
 15. A device for reproducing copies of a plurality of frames disposed on a microfiche comprising means for automatically reproducing a first, variable, preselectable number of collated sets of copies of a second, variable, preselectable frames of said plurality of frames.
 16. A device as defined in claim 15 wherein said reproducing means includes means for mounting and securely retaining said microfiche, first means for transporting said mounting means along a first portion of a path of travel and second means for transporting said mounting means along a second portion of said path of travel, said second portion of said path of travel being angularly disposed to said first portion of said path of travel, said first transporting means being actuable independently of said second transporting means to transport said mounting means along said first portion of said path of travel and said second transporting means being actuable independently of said first transporting means to transport said mounting means along said second portion of said path of travel.
 17. A device as defined in claim 16 wherein said first transporting means includes a first plurality of serially disposed slots, a first plurality of drive pins releasably engageable with said slots and first means for positioning said drive pins in varying ones of said slots to enable the stepwise movement of said mounting means along said first portion of said path of travel.
 18. A device as defined in claim 17 wherein said second transporting means includes a second plurality of serially disposed slots, a second plurality of drive pins releasably engageable with said second plurality of slots and second means for positioning said second plurality of drive pins in varying ones of said second plurality of slots to enable the sTepwise movement of said mounting means along said second portion of said path of travel.
 19. A device as defined in claim 17 wherein said first transporting means further includes an elongated rack housing said slots.
 20. A device as defined in claim 19 wherein said slots are serially disposed along said rack and enclosed within an elongated apertured portion of said rack.
 21. A device as defined in claim 17 wherein said first positioning means includes rotatable means for fixedly mounting said first plurality of drive pins thereon and motive means for rotating said rotatable mounting means.
 22. A device as defined in claim 17 wherein said first plurality of drive pins consists of two drive pins.
 23. A device as defined in claim 22 wherein said first positioning means includes a rotatable member upon which said two drive means are fixedly mounted in a 180 degree spaced-apart relationship.
 24. A device as defined in claim 23 further comprising an elongated rack housing said first plurality of slots, said first positioning means including means for maintaining said two drive pins and said rack in a stationary relative condition when said two drive pins are positioned in adjacent ones of said first plurality of slots.
 25. A device for reproducing copies of a plurality of frames disposed on a microfiche comprising an illumination path, means disposed in said illumination path for illuminating said frames disposed on said microfiche, means for positioning one of said frames at a time in said illumination path and means for automatically reproducing a first, variable, preselectable number of collected sets of copies of a second, variable, preselectable number of said plurality of frames.
 26. A device for displaying or reproducing copies of a plurality of frames disposed on a microfiche comprising an illumination path, a viewing screen, means disposed in said illumination path for illuminating frames disposed on said micorfiche, means for positioning one of said frames at a time in said illumination path, means for selectively displaying said frames on said viewing screen and means for automatically reproducing a first, variable, preselectable number of collated sets of copies of a second, variable, preselectable number of said plurality of said frames.
 27. A device for reproducing copies of one or more of a plurality of reproducible originals comprising an illumination path, means disposed in said illumination path for illuminating said orignals and programmable means for automatically positioning a first, variable, preselected original of said plurality of reproducible originals in said illumination path and means for automatically reproducing a first, variable, preselectable number of collated sets of copies of a second, variable, preselectable number of said plurality of reproducible originals.
 28. A device for illuminating frames disposed on microfiches in accordance with one of a plurality of possible paginations comprising an illumination path, switch means for variably presetting or resetting said device to automatically sequentially position serially-disposed ones of the frames of a first microfiche of said microfiches in said illumination path of said device in accordance with the particular pagination of said first microfiche for illumination by said device.
 29. A device for illuminating a plurality of frames disposed on a microfiche in accordance with a first variable pagination of a plurality of possible paginations comprising an illumination path, means for automatically sequentially transporting serially disposed ones of said plurality of frames into and through said illumination path, means for variably conditioning said transporting means to transport said ones of said plurality of frames into and through said illuminatiuon path in accordance with said first pagination of said microfiche.
 30. A device as defined in claim 29 Wherein said conditioning means includes multistate means for presetting or resetting said transporting means to transport said ones of said plurality of frames into and through said illumination path in accordance with a COSATI pagination in a first state or in accordance with a COM pagination in a second state.
 31. A device as defined in claim 30 wherein said multistate means includes a manually manipulative bistable means.
 32. A device as defined in claim 29 wherein said conditioning means includes multistate means for presetting or resetting said transporting means to transport said ones of said plurality of frames into and through said illumination path in accordance with a COSATI PREFERRED pagination in a first state or in accordance with a COSTAI ALTERNATE pagination in a second state.
 33. A device as defined in claim 29 wherein said conditioning means includes multistate means for presetting or resetting said transporting means to transport said ones of said plurality of frames into and through said illumination path in accordance with a COSATI PREFERRED pagination in a first state or in accordance with a COSATI ALTERNATE pagination in a second state or in accordance with a COM pagination in a third state.
 34. A device as defined in claim 29 wherein said transporting means comprises means for mounting and securely retaining a micorfiche, first means for transporting said mounting means along a first portion of a path of travel and second means for transporting said mounting means along a second portion of said path of travel being angularly disposed to said first portion of said path of travel.
 35. A device as defined in claim 34 wherein said first transporting means is actuable independently of said second transporting means to transport said mounting means along said first portion of said path of travel and wherein said second transporting means is similarly actuable independently of said first transporting means to transport said mounting means along said second portion of said path of travel.
 36. A device as defined in claim 34 wherein said first transporting means includes a first plurality of serially disposed slots, a first plurality of drive pins releasably enggaeable with said slots and first means for positioning said drive pins in varying ones of said slots to enable the stepwise movement of said mounting along said first portion of said path of travel.
 37. A device as defined in claim 36 wherein said second transporting means includes s a second plurality of serially disposed slots, a second plurality of drive pins releasably engageable with said second plurality of slots and second means for positioning said second plurality of drive pins in varying ones of said second plurality of slots to enable the stepwise movement of said mounting means along said second portion of said path of travel.
 38. A device as defined in claim 36 wherein said first transporting means further includes an elongated rack housing said slots.
 39. A device as defined in claim 38 wherein said slots are serially disposed along said rack and encolosed within an elongated apertured portion of said rack.
 40. A device as defined in claim 36 wherein said positioning means includes rotatable means for fixedly mounting said first plurality of drive pins thereon and motive means for rotating said rotatable mounting means.
 41. A device as defined in claim 35 wherein said first plurality of drive pins consists of two drive pins.
 42. A device as defined in claim 41 wherein said first positioning means includes a rotatable member upon which said two drive pins are fixedly mounted in a 180 degree spaced-apart relationship.
 43. A device as defined in claim 42 further comprising an elognated rack housing and said first plurality of slots, said first positioning means including means for maintaining said two drive pins and said rack in a stationary relative condition in which said two drive pins are positioned in adjacent ones of said first plurality of slots.
 44. A device for reproducing copies of a plurality of serially disposed reproducible originals comprising a feed path for copy material, said feed path having an input station and an exit station and means for automatically reproducing a first, variable, preselectable number of collated sheets of copies of a second, varible, preselectable number of said plurality of reproducible originals said second number including the last serially disposed one of said plurality of reproducible originals.
 45. A device as defined in claim 44 wherein said reproducing means comprises manually manipulative means for entering said first number and said second number into said device.
 46. A device as defined in claim 45 wherein said reproducing means further comprises means responsive to said manually manipulative entering means for controlling said reproducing means to reproduce first, variable, preselectable number of collated sets of copies of said second, variable, preselectable number of said plurality of reproducible originals upon the entering of either said second number into said device or a number numerically greater than said second number into said device in place of said second number.
 47. A device for reproducing copies of a plurality of frames disposed on a microfiche comprising means for automatically reproducing a first, variable, preselectable number of collated sets of copies of a second, variable, preselectable number of said plurality of frames said reproducing means comprising an illumination path, means disposed in said illumination path for illuminating said frames disposed on said microfiche and and means for producing relative movement between said illumination path and said microfiche to thereby position one of said frames at a time in said illumination path, said relative movement producing means comprising first means for producing relative movement along a first portion of a path of travel and second means for producing relative movement along a second portion of path of travel, said second portion of said path of travel being angularly disposed to said first portion of said path of travel, said first relative movement producing means being actuable independently of said second relative movement producing means to produce said relative movement along said first portion of said path of travel an said second relative movement producing means being actuable independently of said first relative movement producing means to produce said relative movement along said second portion of said path of travel.
 48. A device as defined in claim 47 wherein said first relative movement producing means includes a first plurality of serially disposed slots, a first plurality of drive pins releasably engageable with said slots and first means for positioning said drive pins in varying ones of said slots to enable stepwise relative movement between said illumination path and said micofiche along said first portion of said path of travel.
 49. A device as defined in claim 48 wherein said second relative movement producing means includes a second plurality of serially disposed slots, a second plurality of drive pins releasably engageable with said second plurality of slots and second means for positioning said second plurality of drive pins in varying ones of said second plurality of slots to enable stepwise relative movement between said illumination path and said microfiche along said second portion of said path of travel.
 50. A device as defined in claim 48 wherein said first relative movement producing means further includes an elongated rack housing said slots.
 51. A device as defined in claim 50 wherein said slots are serially disposed along said rack and enclosed within an elongated apertured portion of said rack.
 52. A device as defined in claim 48 wherein said first positioning means includes rotatable means For fixedly mounting said first plurality of drive pins thereon and motive means for rotating said rotatable mounting means.
 53. A device as defined in claim 48 wherein said first plurality of drive pins consists of two drive pins.
 54. A device as defined in claim 53 wherein said first positioning means includes a rotatable member upon which said two drive means are fixedly mounted in a 180* spaced-apart relationship.
 55. A device as defined in claim 54 further comprising an elongated rack housing said first plurality of slots, said first positioning means including means for maintaining said two drive pins and said rack in a stationary relative condition when said two drive pins are positioned in adjacent ones of said first plurality of slots.
 56. A device for reproducing copies of a plurality of reproducible images disposed on a unitary member comprising means for automatically reproducing a first, variable, preselectable number of collated sets of copies of a second, variable, preselectable number of said plurality of reproducible images disposed on said unitary member.
 57. A device as defined in claim 56 wherein said reproducing originals includes an illumination path, means disposed in said illumination path for illuminating said images and originals for positioning one of said images at a time in said illumination path.
 58. A device as defined in claim 57 wherein said positioning means includes programmable means for automatically positioning a first, variable, preselected original of said plurality of reproducible originals in said illumination path. 